Myanmar's 'Rohingya' Conflict

Description

The plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims has made international news in recent years. Reports of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity are commonplace. The Rohingyas have been denied citizenship and are widely discriminated against. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced by violence, or have sought refuge in neighbouring or friendly Muslim countries. This conflict has become a litmus test for change in this country in transition, and current assessments are far from positive. Whitewashing by the military, and a refusal by Aung San Suu Kyi's government to even use the name 'Rohingya', adds to international scepticism. Exploring this long-running tripartite conflict between the Rohingya, Rakhine and Burman ethnic groups, this book offers a new analysis of the complexities of the conflict: the fears and motivations driving it and the competition to control historical representations and collective memory. By questioning these competing narratives, offering detailed sociopolitical analysis and examining the international dimensions of the conflict, this book offers new insights into what is preventing a peaceful resolution to this intractable conflict. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Maps, Figures, and Tables Acknowledgements Foreword The Vexed Question of Names Part I: Context Personal Journeys into this Conflict 1. Complexities, Misconceptions, and Context Addressing Misconceptions, Highlighting Complexity Rakhine State: Geography, History, and Demographics Approach, Definitions, and Outline 2. Recent Violence and Significance Three Interconnected Conflicts, Not One Significance of the Conflict for Myanmar Part II: Historical Narratives, Representation, And Collective Memory History, Memory, and the Social Psychology of Conflict 3. The Rohingya ‘Origin’ Narrative Sources and their Sociopolitical Context The Rohingya ‘Origin’ Narrative 4. Rakhine–Burman Narratives: ‘Independence’, ‘Unity’, ‘Infiltration’ The Rakhine ‘Independence’ Narrative The Burman ‘Unity’ Narrative The Rakhine–Burman ‘Infiltration’ Narrative Part III: Conflict Analysis Philosophical landscape of conflict analysis theory 5. Security Dilemma, Minority Complex, Greed, and Political Economy A Tripartite Security Dilemma Double—or Triple—Minority Complex The Role of the State in the Conflict Economic Drivers, Resources, and Greed 6. Identity and Territory Grievances in Rakhine State Identity, Ethnicity, and Conflict Building Ethnic Hegemony Ethnic Conflict, Complexity, Fluidity, and Micro-Level Violence Territory 7. The International Community: Recommendations and Conclusions So, where to from here? Notes Bibliography Index